


Taking Chances

by 1QuietStiles7



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Barista AU, Barista Minhyuk, F/M, Fluff, Winter, lee minkhyuk fluff, non kpop idol au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-14
Updated: 2019-12-14
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:02:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21787957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1QuietStiles7/pseuds/1QuietStiles7
Summary: You're running late and now your favorite barista has left. Will you take a chance on the new one or will you stick to your ways?
Relationships: Lee Minhyuk (Monsta X)/Reader
Kudos: 15
Collections: Monsta X Winter Collection 2019





	Taking Chances

You stand in line, head pounding and mouth still feeling fuzzy even after brushing this morning. You will the line to move faster as you take a step forward. You just need some caffeine, loaded with enough sugar to put a diabetic into a coma, to help your hangover and you were running out of time. Your first class starts in 20 minutes and you're still 15 minutes from campus and there’s 4 more people ahead of you. Finally you make it to the front and look up to find not your normal barista, you know the one who knows your order by heart and you groan internally. This barista is just staring at you, big sunshine-y smile on his face, patiently waiting for you to place your order. The clearing of someone’s throat behind you finally gets you to step up to the counter.

“Hi!” He really said it with that much enthusiasm too. “What can I get you? Might I suggest our new white chocolate cherry danish and a creme brulee latte?”

“No.” You said it that bluntly too. “I’ll have a large iced coffee with triple cream and mocha, 8 sugar pumps, and an espresso shot. That’s all.” His eyes have almost tripled in size by the time you’re handing over your card.

“A-are you sure? That’s a lot of sugar for,” he swivels to look at the clock on the wall, “8:42 in the morning.”

“I’m sure, can you just ring me up? I need to get to class.” He finally takes your card and swipes it through the machine. “Thanks,” you say, taking your card back and stuffing it into a pocket of your jacket. You move over to the pickup counter to wait for your order. The worker that made your beverage finally hands it over and you chance a look at the clock, 8:47. Damn it, you were definitely going to be late.

You manage to get to class only 4 minutes late and luckily the professor was running behind as well, coming in just moments after you got your book pulled out of your bag. That first class drags by as you pop two ibuprofen and wash them down with your sugary coffee. You have a 90 minute break before your next class so you resolve to head to the student center and nap if one of the comfy chairs is available. Except there weren’t anyway so you resigned yourself to sitting at one of the tables studying like a real adult. You pulled out your book and notes for your next class and started going over everything from the previous class on Tuesday.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next week continues in this fashion minus the hangover from last Thursday. The new barista is ever present too.

“Oh, ___, Seju made some cranberry muffins with a cream cheese drizzle. They’re our special today along with the toasted almond and honey cappuccino. I can have both whipped up for you!” You had only spoken to this man enough to tell him your order for the past week and a half but he’d somehow learned your name. You imagine it wasn’t that difficult as you visit the cafe nearly every day and the regulars know you.

“No, thanks. I’ll just take my normal.” He learned the second day that you don’t normally take 8 pumps. He also learned that you weren’t quite so brusque as you were the first day, but you were still very blunt.

He just shakes his head and takes your card again, “One large iced coffee with triple cream and mocha, and 5 pumps of sugar coming up.” A few minutes later he’s handing you your drink, “One day I’m going to get you to try one of the holiday specials.”

“I wouldn’t hold your breath. You’ll run out of air first and I don’t really have time to wait for an ambulance to show up and make it to class on time.” He just smiles at you having learned on the fifth day that you had a dry sense of humor that could easily be misconstrued as disinterest or mocking but he liked it. It was different from his, he liked to make people laugh and smile, would even go out of his way to brighten people’s day if he could. 

“Of course, ___. Would never expect you to wait with me should I smack my head off the counter.” You didn’t smile, but he definitely didn’t imagine the twitch of your lips or the amusement in your eyes. He sighs as you walk out of the shop and hurries up the front register to assist the other barista.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“___, how about the peppermint cocoa and nutmeg cookies?” “No thank you.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Toffee butter latte and hmm...oh the lemon raspberry scones? They’re soooo good. I’ve had about three today.” 

“The lattes or the scones?” 

“Both!!” 

“I think I’ll pass, you look like you’re about to spin off into the sky. Just my regular.” The man scoffs playfully but rings you up just like always. This is how you’ve spent the last month, Christmas was a week away somehow. Your phone chimes as you wait for your order, and you glance down at the screen. It’s a picture from your mom. It’s her and your father along with your sister and her new husband and baby, “Wish you were here.” You smile and write back, returning the sentiment. Your sister had moved away at the beginning of the year when her husband got a new position in his company in Germany. Your parents had flown over for the holiday season, not coming back until well after your next semester started. You had chosen not to join them, they had been disappointed but respected your desire to stay on campus.

“Here you go ___” You look up and instantly scowl. Sitting atop your iced coffee was a dollop of whipped cream. 

“What’s that?” You ask, dumbly.

“Uh, whipped cream?” 

“Why is it in my cup?” 

“C’mon, it’s not going to kill you...oh my gosh unless you’re allergic to dairy. Are you? I’ll make you another.” 

He goes to throw it out when your voice stops him, “Don’t you think I’d be dead by now if I was that severely allergic to dairy? You put dairy creamer in my coffee every day.”

“Oh right. Well I can still make you another if you really don’t want it.” 

“Nah it’s fine. This time.” He instantly brightens up again, mostly ignoring the rest of your statement. He hands your drink over and you say goodbye.

You’re later than normal the next day, in fact way later. Late enough that he’s getting ready to take his break when you come in. “Ah, ___, I thought you had forgotten about me. You’re late today.”

You look at the clock, it’s just after 11, “Oh, yeah classes are out so I can sleep in now.” He nods and disappears into the back. You place your order and take it over to the high table by the corner window. You’re scrolling through social media when the chair across from you is suddenly occupied. Glancing up you’re met with his surprisingly somber eyes.

“Mind if I join you?” He asks gently, like he’s afraid you’ll tell him to get lost or something, a small smile still present on his mouth. Softly you shake your head and his smile grows, “Oh good, I didn’t want to seem like one of those guys that gets rejected right away by the girl he likes. You know the ones, the second lead guy in every drama. And I brought you this.” Before you can begin to respond he turns the tray towards you until his plate sits in front of you. On it sits two turnovers, both drizzled with green frosting.

“And just what are they?” You ask with no real malice. 

“One is filled with a sweet strawberry cream and white chocolate frosting. And the other has a cranberry cream filling with white chocolate frosting.”

“And in the mugs?” 

“Oh salted caramel hot cocoa.”

“How am I supposed to know which one is which?”

“Are you allergic to either?” 

“No.”

“Do you like both?” 

“Yes.”

“Then take a chance, ___.”

“What’s your name?” You ask if you grab one of the treats, biting into it. Your mouth is instantly filled with the sweet taste of flaky dough and strawberries, and your brain is cursing you for not trying one sooner. 

He looks at you smiling brightly, knowing he had finally won, “Minhyuk.”


End file.
